EN 14477 Puncture Resistance of Flexible Packaging Material

Instron’s custom puncture fixture, CP105780, was designed per EN 14477 and includes two 0.8 mm diameter puncture probes. The fixture includes an essential rubber ring that goes between the specimen and fixturing body, which is necessary to prevent the specimen from moving around or slipping during testing. Instron also offers a 1 mm diameter puncture probe, CP114502, as an add on or replacement for the 0.8 mm diameter probs. Though the 1 mm diameter probe deviates from the standard, it can be used in various cases to evaluate the puncture resistance of thin film materials. 

EN 14477 recommends a Constant Rate of Extension (CRE) frame able to operate and measure elongation during testing. If testing is to be performed with slower tests speeds, an Instron 3400 Series test frame should suffice. However, for best results when testing at 50 or 100 mm/min, a 6800 Series frame is the optimal solution due to its higher data capture rate. For nearly all thin film puncture testing, a single column frame is appropriate as the loads rarely go above 5 kN. For most thin film puncture testing to EN14477, Instron’s 2530 Series load cells are appropriate. A 10 N load cell is typically sufficient for testing materials such as separator film; however, larger 50-100 N load cells can be used as well based on the thickness and strength of the material.

Instron’s Bluehill Universal testing software has options for controlling the data rate and speed for each test to ensure the material is evaluated at various test parameters. Bluehill software allows users to easily control the test, acquire data, and prepare test reports. Because puncture testing per EN 14477 can be performed up to speeds of 100 mm/min, it is recommended to use a high data rate in order to capture the true peaks in load, as it occurs very quickly at high speeds. An insufficient data rate can result in variable testing results if the peaks are not captured adequately.